Quality coffee the new frontier for hosts; Nespresso’s top tips for home baristas

As if hosting a dinner party wasn’t stressful enough, it’s now more than likely you’ve invited a coffee snob to dinner and they are judging you, according to new research.

Thanks to the high quality coffee many Australians have come to expect as standard from cafes, this expectation has trickled down into the home, with 87 per cent of Australians viewing someone a better host if they can make a cup of coffee exactly how they like it.

Results from a survey commissioned by Nespresso and conducted by Galaxy Research in July 2014, paint Australians as a picky bunch when ordering their coffees; from the sample of 1,175 coffee drinkers across Australia, the survey identified 1,001 different ways people like their coffee to be made, based on preferred coffees, milk types and specific orders.

Eighty-seven (87) per cent of Australians admitted to giving specific instructions when ordering their coffees, with everything from strong or double shot (42 per cent) to not too hot (15 per cent).

“These days, it’s not just about the quality of the food and wine at a dinner party,” said Karsten Ranitzsch, head of coffee for Nespresso. “People have high expectations when it comes to their coffee and rightly so.

“There is nothing more annoying than finishing a nice meal with a bad coffee! Preference is personal and individual and people expect a quality coffee wherever they are. Nespresso offers 22 Grands Crus coffees all with noticeable differences in intensity or aromas to cater to every taste.”

With some respondents answering the survey a little more honestly than they would their host, 67 per cent said they would spend longer at a friend or family member’s house if they offered a good coffee and 41 per cent would be more likely to visit their house again. One in three said they would refuse to drink an instant coffee if offered.

In the past Nespresso and Jura have encouraged cooking with coffee to impress guests, and with the importance of aesthetics — especially colour — impacting coffee machine design, consumers are considering them as much a statement piece as an appliance.

These survey results and market trends provide retailers with an insight into the kind of customer looking for a coffee machine.

Nespresso’s Head of Coffee, Karsten Ranitzsch’s top 5 tips for at-home baristas:

1. Get frothy – The density of froth changes depending on the type of milk used. Milk with a high fat content makes a richer and denser froth, whereas milk with a low fat content will make a lighter, more aerated froth.

2. Learn the language – Impress your guests with your coffee knowledge. A Caffé Latte in Italian simply means ‘coffee and milk’, while the word Macchiato literally translates as ‘stained’, meaning to make the coffee with a stain of milk.

3. Create new tasting experiences – Try adding coffee to sweet and savoury recipes, whether it’s a simple Affogato for dessert or as part of a savoury dish.

4. Serve wisely – The design, size and shape of your coffee cup can improve the coffee-drinking experience, as the shape has an impact on the structure and consistency of the crema. For espresso, serve in a small cup made of porcelain or glass and for coffee with milk, use a taller glass.

5. A perfect match – When pairing coffee with snacks, coffee should enhance the flavour not overpower it. The trick is to look for complementary flavour notes, so pair strong coffee with intense, rich treats such as dark chocolate and mild blends with delicate snacks like puff pastry.